Appearance
Average Measurements
Length: 40-48 cm
Wing span: 66-80 cm
Weight: 310-380 grams
The laughing kookaburra is the largest kingfisher in the world [1]. It can be easily confused with the blue-wing kookaburra in the regions where these two species overlap. The difference between them is the the blue-winged kookaburra has a shorter and more conical bill and has large patches of blue on its wings, hence its name [1].
Males
Primary male:
The primary male laughing kookaburra has a head and neck that is mainly white with brown at the top of its head, on the back of its neck, around its eyes, and on its ear coverts [1]. Its saddle, rump and tertials are brown with off-white scaling and the center of its rump is pale blue in color [1]. The upper tail feathers are brown with white tips, the upper wing feathers are brown and black with a pale blue patch on its sholder, and the outer wing is brown with a large patch patch in the middle of it [1]. Its underbody is white with greyish-brown stipes, under its tail are feathers that are black and brown with while tips, and its underwing feathers are white with brown tips [1]. Its upper bill is black and its under bill is yellow with a dark patch at the base [1]. Its legs are cream to light brown in color [1]. An example of this is shown below in the illustrations section.
Auxillary males:
The auxillary male laughing kookaburas look much like the primary female kookaburras [1].
Females
Primary Female: The primary female laughing kookaburra looks a great deal like the primary male, but displays no obvious pale blue patch her rump [1]. An example of this is shown below in the illustrations section.
Auxillary females: The auxillary female laughing kookaburras look much like the primary female kookaburras [1].
Juveniles
Juvenile laughing kookaburras look much like the primary females except that they are darker in general on their head, neck, and underbody and the both the top and bottom of their bills are solid black, unlike the adults [1].
Illustrations
Far left: Primary male
Center: Primary male (or auxillary male or female)
Far right: Juvenile (male or female)
Far left: Primary female (or auxillaries) in flight
Center: Underside of bird
Far right: Primay male in flight